The subject technology discloses configurations for receiving, at a first network device, a set of network packets corresponding to a first flow from a client, wherein the set of network packets includes a destination address of a second network device; detecting, in the received set of network packets, pacing rate information indicating a specified pacing rate for transmission of the network packets; determining, based on the detected pacing rate, a desired pacing rate to reduce packet dropping on route to the second network device; and transmitting, by the first network device, the set of network packets over an egress link at the desired pacing rate.